How do you write a haiku poem about New York City?
Right now, brainstorm three to five topics you could write about for your NYC haiku.
Remember that haiku is a three line poem with a meter of 5 syllables on line 1, 7 syllables on line 2, and 5 syllables on line 3. The lines don't have to rhyme.
Your haiku could be about what you see outside your apartment window. It could be a description of the night life and festivals that happen in the city. It could be about the sights and sounds of one of the many parades that march in the city.
Since haikus are so short you can write a few and share them with your partner. Make sure you use imagery and figurative language.
For homework check your spelling, punctuation, and syllable count.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do you write a list poem?
Read the poem "Valentine for Ernest Mann" by Naomi Shihab Nye. It's a poem about the various places where you can find inspiration for writing poetry. Make a list poem using the worksheet. List what makes you happy, angry, or sad. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Write about what you see and observe. What makes this world beautiful or mysterious? Make a list of all the things that you think are beautiful or mysterious. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Write about the world around you. What do you watch or read in the news? Make a list of things you read in the news. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Write about things that make you wonder. Do you have any questions about your life at school or at home? Make a list of the things you wonder about. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Use your lists to make a poem. Share your lists with a partner. Make sure you use rhyme, alliteration, metaphor, and simile.
Check your stanza and line-breaks. Check spelling and punctuation for Homework.
Read the poem "Valentine for Ernest Mann" by Naomi Shihab Nye. It's a poem about the various places where you can find inspiration for writing poetry. Make a list poem using the worksheet. List what makes you happy, angry, or sad. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Write about what you see and observe. What makes this world beautiful or mysterious? Make a list of all the things that you think are beautiful or mysterious. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Write about the world around you. What do you watch or read in the news? Make a list of things you read in the news. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Write about things that make you wonder. Do you have any questions about your life at school or at home? Make a list of the things you wonder about. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"
Use your lists to make a poem. Share your lists with a partner. Make sure you use rhyme, alliteration, metaphor, and simile.
Check your stanza and line-breaks. Check spelling and punctuation for Homework.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do you craft and revise a poem?
Review the lists of metaphors and similes you wrote yesterday.
Make sure that these metaphors and similes describe who you are and what you feel. Take a partner and reread each other's work. Ask them if they think it portrays you. Are you showing the emotions and characteristics you want to portray?
Reread a poem and check how line-breaks and stanza breaks change the pace, rhythm and meaning of the poem. Pay attention to where your voice naturally pauses. You can experiment with your line-breaks, reading new versions of your poem to yourself to hear the difference that changing the line-break makes. You can also reread to see if there are any longer pauses between ideas or thoughts. Longer pauses denote a stanza break.
If you're having trouble identifying where to put the line breaks, read your poem to your partner. Ask him/her to help identify where the first few break lines could be.
Share your poem with the class. When a poem is read, comment on how the line-breaks influenced the pace of the poem. Comment on how the line-breaks and stanza breaks helped to express the meaning of the poem.
Check your spelling, rhyme scheme, imagery, and tone of the poem for homework.
Review the lists of metaphors and similes you wrote yesterday.
Make sure that these metaphors and similes describe who you are and what you feel. Take a partner and reread each other's work. Ask them if they think it portrays you. Are you showing the emotions and characteristics you want to portray?
Reread a poem and check how line-breaks and stanza breaks change the pace, rhythm and meaning of the poem. Pay attention to where your voice naturally pauses. You can experiment with your line-breaks, reading new versions of your poem to yourself to hear the difference that changing the line-break makes. You can also reread to see if there are any longer pauses between ideas or thoughts. Longer pauses denote a stanza break.
If you're having trouble identifying where to put the line breaks, read your poem to your partner. Ask him/her to help identify where the first few break lines could be.
Share your poem with the class. When a poem is read, comment on how the line-breaks influenced the pace of the poem. Comment on how the line-breaks and stanza breaks helped to express the meaning of the poem.
Check your spelling, rhyme scheme, imagery, and tone of the poem for homework.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do we turn our metaphors and similes into poems?
Review the similes and metaphors you used to describe yourself.
When you described yourself as weather, you might have written, "I'm like a sunny day." Now you can write, "I glow and bring warmth to all who meet me." Continue to change your similes into metaphors. Use descriptive words that appeal to your senses.
When you get to your list of metaphors, you might have written, " I'm a bass drum."
Now write, "I beat to the sound of roaring thunder." If you write all your similes and metaphors down, you'll see you have written poetry about yourself.
Check the rhythm and the meter. Is there any rhyme? Was there repetition? Was there any alliteration? Share it with a friend. Have them use the poetry checklist and work on your poems together.
If you're still having problems, come see me during class and I'll look at your similes and try to give you some ideas. You really are able to write very lovely and moving poems.
For homework, edit for spelling and punctuation and complete a final draft.
Review the similes and metaphors you used to describe yourself.
When you described yourself as weather, you might have written, "I'm like a sunny day." Now you can write, "I glow and bring warmth to all who meet me." Continue to change your similes into metaphors. Use descriptive words that appeal to your senses.
When you get to your list of metaphors, you might have written, " I'm a bass drum."
Now write, "I beat to the sound of roaring thunder." If you write all your similes and metaphors down, you'll see you have written poetry about yourself.
Check the rhythm and the meter. Is there any rhyme? Was there repetition? Was there any alliteration? Share it with a friend. Have them use the poetry checklist and work on your poems together.
If you're still having problems, come see me during class and I'll look at your similes and try to give you some ideas. You really are able to write very lovely and moving poems.
For homework, edit for spelling and punctuation and complete a final draft.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do we draft a poem?
You need to write about things that describe you such as, " I run faster than a bullet." Use metaphors and similes to describe yourself. For example use a metaphor - "I'm a hot tomale." Or use a simile - "I'm as strong as a steel girder."
Make a list of these metaphors and similes and use them in your self -portrait poem.
If you have writer's block, refer to self-portrait poems like " Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou, " I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes.
Write a rough draft; read it to a friend. Find out if your friend thinks this is a good description of you. Write and rewrite.
Refer to the website http://poetry.teachingmatters.org.
You need to write about things that describe you such as, " I run faster than a bullet." Use metaphors and similes to describe yourself. For example use a metaphor - "I'm a hot tomale." Or use a simile - "I'm as strong as a steel girder."
Make a list of these metaphors and similes and use them in your self -portrait poem.
If you have writer's block, refer to self-portrait poems like " Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou, " I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes.
Write a rough draft; read it to a friend. Find out if your friend thinks this is a good description of you. Write and rewrite.
Refer to the website http://poetry.teachingmatters.org.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Everyone is a Poet
What are the different kinds of poetry?
Poetry takes all different sizes, shapes and forms. There's haiku, tanka, quatrain, cinquain, limericks, odes, free verse, and narrative poems to name a few.
After looking at examples of these different types of poems, pick one or two and imitate its format. Copy down the formula from the worksheets I'm handing out.
An example is as follows: Haiku is a form of unrhymed poetry that started in Japan. Each three lined poem has a special syllable pattern-
line 1 - 5 syllables - Gentle raindrops fall
line 2 - 7 syllables - Against my tiny window
line 3 - 5 syllables - Telling me it's spring.
If someone writes haiku poetry for you, you are to write a tanka poem in return. This is part of oriental tradition. Tanka form is very much like haiku, but it has two more lines.
line 1 - 5 syllables - I went on a hike
line 2 - 7 syllables - To see the heart of the woods
line 3 - 5 syllables - I met the wildlife
line 4 - 7 syllables - And called each tree by its name
line 5 - 7 syllables - One day I hope to return
These are two forms of poetry, but you can choose any form you wish. See me if you have any problems.
Poetry takes all different sizes, shapes and forms. There's haiku, tanka, quatrain, cinquain, limericks, odes, free verse, and narrative poems to name a few.
After looking at examples of these different types of poems, pick one or two and imitate its format. Copy down the formula from the worksheets I'm handing out.
An example is as follows: Haiku is a form of unrhymed poetry that started in Japan. Each three lined poem has a special syllable pattern-
line 1 - 5 syllables - Gentle raindrops fall
line 2 - 7 syllables - Against my tiny window
line 3 - 5 syllables - Telling me it's spring.
If someone writes haiku poetry for you, you are to write a tanka poem in return. This is part of oriental tradition. Tanka form is very much like haiku, but it has two more lines.
line 1 - 5 syllables - I went on a hike
line 2 - 7 syllables - To see the heart of the woods
line 3 - 5 syllables - I met the wildlife
line 4 - 7 syllables - And called each tree by its name
line 5 - 7 syllables - One day I hope to return
These are two forms of poetry, but you can choose any form you wish. See me if you have any problems.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do we compare and contrast two poems?
Read Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" and Nikki Giovanni's poem, "Choices." These poets are of two different cultural backgrounds and two different generations, but the theme is universal - making choices.
How are the two poems different? What imagery do the poets use? Imagery is the mental picture or sound you imagine while reading the poem. A poet chooses certain words and techniques to create imagery. What technique does each poet use?
What is the mood of each poem? Mood refers to the poet's attitude towards the subject and theme. It is how the poet sounds - angry, calm, sad.
What is the purpose of each poem? What is the reason why the poet wrote the poem? A poet may write a poem purely for enjoyment while others have a deeper purpose.
Your answers to these questions should be put on Google Docs and then blogged. See me if you need assistance.
Read Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" and Nikki Giovanni's poem, "Choices." These poets are of two different cultural backgrounds and two different generations, but the theme is universal - making choices.
How are the two poems different? What imagery do the poets use? Imagery is the mental picture or sound you imagine while reading the poem. A poet chooses certain words and techniques to create imagery. What technique does each poet use?
What is the mood of each poem? Mood refers to the poet's attitude towards the subject and theme. It is how the poet sounds - angry, calm, sad.
What is the purpose of each poem? What is the reason why the poet wrote the poem? A poet may write a poem purely for enjoyment while others have a deeper purpose.
Your answers to these questions should be put on Google Docs and then blogged. See me if you need assistance.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do you identify and explain personification?
Personification is a figure of speech in which a nonhuman thing or quality is talked about as if it were human.
In the following lines, sleep is spoken of as a human weaver.
The soft gray hands of sleep
Toiled all night long
To spin a beautiful garment
Of dreams
--Edward Silvera, from "Forgotten Dreams"
Look through the fifty top poems I sent you and pick out poems with examples of personification. The website is in your gmail. Just click on it.
Write the examples of personification on a Word Document with the heading "Personification in Poems." This is your response to literature today.
I'm looking forward to reading your personal crossticks and/or self-portraits.
Personification is a figure of speech in which a nonhuman thing or quality is talked about as if it were human.
In the following lines, sleep is spoken of as a human weaver.
The soft gray hands of sleep
Toiled all night long
To spin a beautiful garment
Of dreams
--Edward Silvera, from "Forgotten Dreams"
Look through the fifty top poems I sent you and pick out poems with examples of personification. The website is in your gmail. Just click on it.
Write the examples of personification on a Word Document with the heading "Personification in Poems." This is your response to literature today.
I'm looking forward to reading your personal crossticks and/or self-portraits.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do you identify and distinguish between simile and metaphor?
To review, simile is a comparison of two unlike things using like or as and metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing.
William Wordsworth's famous comparison "I wandered lonely as a cloud" is a simile. If Wordsworth had written "I was a lonely, wandering cloud," it would have been a metaphor.
Try to find metaphors and similes in every day language and make a list of them.
Pick your favorite poet and google his/her poems on the internet. Make a list of simile or metaphors that you came across. Answer the question:"Why do poets use metaphors and similes?"
Create a "self-metaphor" that highlights one of your characteristics. Choose a poetic form in which you want to present yourself, like a crosstick, where you use the letters of your name to begin words that describe yourself.
To review, simile is a comparison of two unlike things using like or as and metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing.
William Wordsworth's famous comparison "I wandered lonely as a cloud" is a simile. If Wordsworth had written "I was a lonely, wandering cloud," it would have been a metaphor.
Try to find metaphors and similes in every day language and make a list of them.
Pick your favorite poet and google his/her poems on the internet. Make a list of simile or metaphors that you came across. Answer the question:"Why do poets use metaphors and similes?"
Create a "self-metaphor" that highlights one of your characteristics. Choose a poetic form in which you want to present yourself, like a crosstick, where you use the letters of your name to begin words that describe yourself.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Reading and Writing Poetry
How do poets use repetition in poetry?
Count how many times the poet, David McCord, repeats the line "Every time I climb a tree" in the poem "Every Time I Climb a Tree." Copies of the poem will be given out.
Write a response as to why you think the poet repeats this line over and over again. Share your response with a friend and discuss his/her response together.
What feeling do you get when you read this poem? What feeling do you think the author is trying to convey? Does this feeling come across by repeating the line over and over? Why or why not?
What kind of childhood do you think the author had and where do you think he lived? Answer this question in a complete sentence.
Try to write a poem about your childhood. Use repetition to emphasize an event or activity.
Count how many times the poet, David McCord, repeats the line "Every time I climb a tree" in the poem "Every Time I Climb a Tree." Copies of the poem will be given out.
Write a response as to why you think the poet repeats this line over and over again. Share your response with a friend and discuss his/her response together.
What feeling do you get when you read this poem? What feeling do you think the author is trying to convey? Does this feeling come across by repeating the line over and over? Why or why not?
What kind of childhood do you think the author had and where do you think he lived? Answer this question in a complete sentence.
Try to write a poem about your childhood. Use repetition to emphasize an event or activity.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Being a Poet
Why do you have to study and write poetry?
" Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toenails twinkle, makes you know that you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering are forever shared and forever all your own." Dylan Thomas
Poetry is all around you. It is the language of songs that interest you and that you try to imitate. Besides it's shorter to write than an essay and you can get through a poem and have a sense of accomplishment.
In the poetry unit you will write a collection of poems through which you will express your unique thoughts. You will draft, revise, edit and publish these poems. By doing this you will acquire writing strategies that can be used across the genres.
You will read a selection of poems to find one that is a reflection of yourself. You can copy a portion of the poem you choose and write why the poem you chose is a reflection of yourself. These poems are self-portrait poems.
The suggested readings are on a worksheet that will be given out. Pick out a poem and tell why it's just like you.
" Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toenails twinkle, makes you know that you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering are forever shared and forever all your own." Dylan Thomas
Poetry is all around you. It is the language of songs that interest you and that you try to imitate. Besides it's shorter to write than an essay and you can get through a poem and have a sense of accomplishment.
In the poetry unit you will write a collection of poems through which you will express your unique thoughts. You will draft, revise, edit and publish these poems. By doing this you will acquire writing strategies that can be used across the genres.
You will read a selection of poems to find one that is a reflection of yourself. You can copy a portion of the poem you choose and write why the poem you chose is a reflection of yourself. These poems are self-portrait poems.
The suggested readings are on a worksheet that will be given out. Pick out a poem and tell why it's just like you.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Settings Goals to Improve in Reading and Writing
How do You set goals to improve your reading and writing skills?
This is the Home Stretch. Did anyone see the Kentucky Derby? Big Brown came racing from the outside in the last part of the race and won. Well, you all must be thoroughbreds because you've been coasting for the past quarter. Now you have to pour it on and come into the home stretch winning.
Go to 339Hardline.com and click on reading and writing goal strategy survey even if you've taken a survey already.
These are goals that you can write down for your portfolio. They are very good goals that you can accomplish in the next six weeks if you put your noses to the grindstone.
You will be working on the Poetry Unit as well as working on your portfolios. You've really been working on your portfolios all along. You just have to put your work in the right places. Some of you have work on blogs, some have work on Word. If you've handwritten your work, it should be typed for your portfolio.
You can win this race and be a Triple Crown Winner. If you need extra help, see me. I can get you into I-Club. It's worth a few hours after school, so you don't have to spend the entire summer in summer school.
This is the Home Stretch. Did anyone see the Kentucky Derby? Big Brown came racing from the outside in the last part of the race and won. Well, you all must be thoroughbreds because you've been coasting for the past quarter. Now you have to pour it on and come into the home stretch winning.
Go to 339Hardline.com and click on reading and writing goal strategy survey even if you've taken a survey already.
These are goals that you can write down for your portfolio. They are very good goals that you can accomplish in the next six weeks if you put your noses to the grindstone.
You will be working on the Poetry Unit as well as working on your portfolios. You've really been working on your portfolios all along. You just have to put your work in the right places. Some of you have work on blogs, some have work on Word. If you've handwritten your work, it should be typed for your portfolio.
You can win this race and be a Triple Crown Winner. If you need extra help, see me. I can get you into I-Club. It's worth a few hours after school, so you don't have to spend the entire summer in summer school.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Poetry for the Portfolios
When is a poem a poem?
A poem is a piece of writing that has the nature of both speech and song in it. A poem is rhythmical and metaphorical. It displays formal elements such as meter, rhyme, and stanzas. A poem arouses strong emotions because of its beauty.
Meter has to do with the number of syllables in each line of poetry. Rhyme is when the last syllables of the lines of a poem have the same sounds. Rhythm has to do with stressed and unstressed syllables.
There are many different types of poetry - rhyming, free verse, haiku, cinquain, limericks, couplets, sonnets.
You will find these types of poems on the internet. You might try writing a few of these poems yourself.
We will have a poetry slam at the end of the month of May.
A poem is a piece of writing that has the nature of both speech and song in it. A poem is rhythmical and metaphorical. It displays formal elements such as meter, rhyme, and stanzas. A poem arouses strong emotions because of its beauty.
Meter has to do with the number of syllables in each line of poetry. Rhyme is when the last syllables of the lines of a poem have the same sounds. Rhythm has to do with stressed and unstressed syllables.
There are many different types of poetry - rhyming, free verse, haiku, cinquain, limericks, couplets, sonnets.
You will find these types of poems on the internet. You might try writing a few of these poems yourself.
We will have a poetry slam at the end of the month of May.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
More Revising of Short Stories
Did I include all the elements of a short story?
The elements of a short story include: a basic situation, conflict (internal and external), complications, a climax, and a resolution. You can't forget the characters, the setting (place, time, mood/atmosphere), theme, point of view, and tone.
I will make an outline of these elements and hand them out to you. Check your stories and see if you have all of these elements. If you leave any boxes blank, you might want to work on filling them in. All elements should be included in a good short story.
When describing the tone of a story, use words that express its tone. Is it a suspenseful story, a comical story, a sad story? Use words to express these feelings.
Use another graphic organizer to brainstorm descriptive words. Use a thesaurus to help you find synonyms and antonyms.
Reread and revise your short story. You never know. It might even be published.
The elements of a short story include: a basic situation, conflict (internal and external), complications, a climax, and a resolution. You can't forget the characters, the setting (place, time, mood/atmosphere), theme, point of view, and tone.
I will make an outline of these elements and hand them out to you. Check your stories and see if you have all of these elements. If you leave any boxes blank, you might want to work on filling them in. All elements should be included in a good short story.
When describing the tone of a story, use words that express its tone. Is it a suspenseful story, a comical story, a sad story? Use words to express these feelings.
Use another graphic organizer to brainstorm descriptive words. Use a thesaurus to help you find synonyms and antonyms.
Reread and revise your short story. You never know. It might even be published.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Working on Portfolios
What is a Portfolio and why do you have to have one?
A portfolio is a compilation of all the work you have done for the year. You should have TWELVE of your best pieces of writing. They include blogs, memoirs, editorials, responses to literature, Math essays, Social Study essays, and Science essays. ( And you thought all that work was for nothing!)
I have opted for your portfolio to be electronic. You will copy your work from the computer to a CD. The other option was to have papers in a big folder. Please don't ask me to kill any more trees. High Schools have computers and you can present your CD to your guidance counselor or any one else who needs to see it.
I have emailed you the guts of this portfolio back in October. I will email you an updated version. You will be responsible to get all the pieces needed for this portfolio within the next two weeks.
This Portfolio is going to determine your final grade and will help you if you didn't do so well on the reading test. Do not take this Portfolio lightly. It is muy importante!
See me if you need help. I have some of your essays from earlier this year. You might want to refine them.
A portfolio is a compilation of all the work you have done for the year. You should have TWELVE of your best pieces of writing. They include blogs, memoirs, editorials, responses to literature, Math essays, Social Study essays, and Science essays. ( And you thought all that work was for nothing!)
I have opted for your portfolio to be electronic. You will copy your work from the computer to a CD. The other option was to have papers in a big folder. Please don't ask me to kill any more trees. High Schools have computers and you can present your CD to your guidance counselor or any one else who needs to see it.
I have emailed you the guts of this portfolio back in October. I will email you an updated version. You will be responsible to get all the pieces needed for this portfolio within the next two weeks.
This Portfolio is going to determine your final grade and will help you if you didn't do so well on the reading test. Do not take this Portfolio lightly. It is muy importante!
See me if you need help. I have some of your essays from earlier this year. You might want to refine them.
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